Download or read book Regional Economic Integration and the Governance Challenge in Africa written by and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To that extent, the discourse on African economic integration is closely intertwined and logically linked to the objectives of the AU and the NEPAD (Fieldwork interview, 12 December 2012, Kenya).6 An interviewee noted: 'both initiatives represent the ''twin platforms'' for Africa's integration and development in the new millennium.'7 Initiated in 2002 and established in 2003, the APRM - a product. [...] The decision was therefore approved to integrate NEPAD into the structures and processes of the African Union and to establish the APRM as the instrumental framework through which the African governance and development reform agenda will be facilitated. [...] The following APRM foundation documents articulate the principles and guidelines of the APR process and those which govern the activities of participating countries at the national level: (1) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the APRM (NEPAD/ HSGIC/03-2003/APRM/MOU), the accession document for the APRM; (2) Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance (AHG/235(XXXVIII). [...] Perhaps the question to ask at this point is: how popular is the APRM among ordinary Africans? How educated and informed are the African people on the objectives of the APRM and how can they exploit the opportunities provided by the AU/NEPAD and APRM? One aspect of the challenge is that: There is scanty [sic] knowledge of the APRM and there is scanty information of what the APRM is particularly do. [...] Highlighting the objectives of the African Union and the NEPAD initiatives, the article examined the institutional framework of the APRM, which was created specifically as an instrument for resolving identified governance challenges in furtherance of the AU/NEPAD integration agenda.
Download or read book Region Building in Africa written by Daniel H. Levine and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-05-19 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This landmark book is the first of its kind to assess the challenges of African region-building and regional integration across all five African sub-regions and more than five decades of experience, considering both political and economic aspects. Leading scholars and practitioners come together to analyze a range of entwined topics, including: the theoretical underpinnings that have informed Africa's regional integration trajectory; the political economy of integration, including the sources of different 'waves' of integration in pan-Africanism and the reaction to neo-liberal economic pressures; the complexities of integration in a context of weak states and the informal regionalization that often occurs in 'borderlands'; the increasing salience of Africa's relationships with rising extra-regional economic powers, including China and India; and comparative lessons from non-African regional blocs, including the EU, ASEAN, and the Southern Common Market. A core argument of this book, running through all chapters, is that region-building must be recognized as a political project as much as if not more than an economic one; successful region-building in Africa will need to include the complex political tasks of strengthening state capacity (including states' capacity as 'developmental states' that can actively engage in economic planning), resolving long-standing conflicts over resources and political dominance, improving democratic governance, and developing trans-national political structures that are legitimate and inclusive.
Download or read book Regional Integration in Africa written by Sipho Buthelezi and published by Ikhwezi Afrika Pub. This book was released on 2006 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study outlines the challenges to mutual linkages at a regional level - to social and economic development across the continent. Organised topically and covering all regional groupings in Africa, the study provides a historical overview of integration and common markets of COMESA and ECOWAS, discussion of Africa in the global economy, the question of regionalism in North Africa and the Arab-Maghreb union, the case of the Southern African Development Community, and a survey of the political economy of the Horn of Africa.
Download or read book The Quest for Regional Integration in the Twenty First Century written by Joram Mukama Biswaro and published by African Books Collective. This book was released on 2012 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the last five decades, the world has witnessed dramatic changes. The Cold War has ended, and geopolitical relations among the major powers have been generally stable and tranquil. Moreover, the demise of colonialism has allowed newly independent countries to play a greater role in the international arena, and countries that used to be foes have now joined hands to develop their economies and raise the living standards of their peoples. At the same time, economic integration, both regional and global, has taken a strong hold. There is a growing realization that, for the survival of the modern world, with increasing cross-national links and externalities, global cooperation is a necessity. The opponents of integration argue that it is merely a guise for exploiting people in developing countries, which will cause massive disruptions of lives and with few benefits to the poor. Its proponents, however, point to the significantly reduced levels of poverty in countries that have adopted economic integration, such as China, India, Vietnam, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Tanzania, and others. The EU experience is a successful example of integrating national economies, but how far should those promoting regional integration in Africa and other regions look to the EU as a model? Can regional and global integration proceed harmoniously? The journey towards fully-fledged regional integration in Africa and beyond could be long, rough and tough. Challenges and fears are enormous, but hopes, opportunities and prospects are immense. From this study it can be further concluded that Regional Integration and Cooperation in the 21st century is a reality and relevant.
Download or read book Regional Integration and Policy Challenges in Africa written by A. Elhiraika and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-01-26 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The role of integration as a catalyst for economic growth, development and insulation from global shocks has made the concept of regional integration even more attractive to states. This books contains compelling arguments and empirical observations that detail some of the key opportunities governments in Africa are pursuing.
Download or read book A Handbook on Regional Integration in Africa written by Brendan Vickers and published by Commonwealth Secretariat. This book was released on 2017-04-10 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Handbook on Regional Integration in Africa advises and informs on current dynamics, opportunities, challenges and policy options for Africa’s regional integration agenda. It is a unique resource for supporting capacity-building on African regional trade issues.
Download or read book Regional Economic Communities written by Olutayo, Akinpelu O. and published by CODESRIA. This book was released on 2015-12-01 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines how the existence of overlapping regional institutions has presented a daunting challenge to the workings of various Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on the African continent. The majority of the African countries are members of overlapping and, sometimes, contradictory RECs. For instance, in East Africa, while Kenya and Uganda are both members of EAC and COMESA, Tanzania, which is also a member of the EAC, left COMESA in 2001 to join SADC. In West Africa, while all former French colonies belong to ECOWAS, they simultaneously keep membership of UEMOA, an organization which is not recognized by the African Union (AU). Such multiple and confusing memberships create unnecessary duplication and dims the light on what ought to be priority. Various chapters in this book have therefore sought to identify and proffer solutions to related challenges confronting the workings of the RECs in different sub-regions of the African continent. The discourses range from security to the stock exchange, identity integration, development framework, labour movement and cross-border relations. The pattern adopted in the book involves devolution of related discussions from the general to the specific; that is, from the continental level to sub-regional case studies.
Download or read book Regional Economic Integration in West Africa written by Diery Seck and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-18 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a number of key studies pertaining to the most pressing challenges of economic regional integration in West Africa. The issues of monetary coordination, foreign exchange volatility, taxation, savings and macroeconomic convergence are investigated from a regional perspective. The characteristics of West Africa’s trade policy are reviewed and assessed in comparison to that of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The extent to which regional integration can tackle the challenge of unemployment is the focus of studies on labour markets. Development of the private sector and coordination of regional cross-border transportation are examined through the lens of economic collaboration between Arab and African countries. The book provides fresh new answers to persistent development questions and sheds new light on long-held views that are either incomplete or no longer true. It also opens new perspectives on the search for sustainable avenues for Africa’s development. In this regard, it may contribute to the emergence of a new paradigm on Africa’s development process and its science-based, policy-oriented implementation.
Download or read book Regional Integration and Trade in Africa written by Mthuli Ncube and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-12-21 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reviews the current trends and challenges of regional integration and trade in Africa. It provides valuable policy recommendations aimed at stimulating the debate among the government, private sector and development community on the ways to promote regional trade for Africa's economic development.
Download or read book Regional Integration in West Africa written by Eswar Prasad and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2021-07-13 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " Assessing the potential benefits and risks of a currency union Leaders of the fifteen-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have set a goal of achieving a monetary and currency union by late 2020. Although some progress has been made toward achieving this ambitious goal, major challenges remain if the region is to realize the necessary macroeconomic convergence and establish the required institutional framework in a relatively short period of time. The proposed union offers many potential benefits, especially for countries with historically high inflation rates and weak central banks. But, as implementation of the euro over the past two decades has shown, folding multiple currencies, representing disparate economies, into a common union comes with significant costs, along with operational challenges and transitional risks. All these potential negatives must be considered carefully by ECOWAS leaders seeking tomeet a self-imposed deadline. This book, by two leading experts on economics and Africa, makes a significant analytical contribution to the debates now under way about how ECOWAS could achieve and manage its currency union, andthe ramifications for the African continent. "
Download or read book The African Union and New Strategies for Development in Africa written by Said Adejumobi and published by Cambria Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The early twenty-first century witnessed remarkable attempts by Africa's political leadership to promote regional integration as a means of fast-tracking economic progress, facilitating peace and security, consolidating democratic gains, and promoting the general welfare of the African people. The transition of the Organization of Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU), as well as the foisting of a new economic blueprint for the continent-the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), combined with the growing role of the regional economic communities (RECs) in harmonizing and creating subregional norms and standards in the political and economic arena suggests a new trend towards regionalism in Africa. Indeed, in the new regional integration architecture, the RECs are considered to be the building blocks of the integration process led by the African Union. This new impetus of a regional development strategy was largely prompted by the slow pace of economic progress on the continent, the increasing marginalization of Africa in the global economy, and the need to create regional resources and standards that would benefit the continent in all spheres of social life. A painful realization became obvious that small micro-states in Africa sticking to their political independence and sovereignty would hardly make much progress in an increasingly globalised world. A macro-states' approach of regional integration has assumed Africa's new strategy to intervene in and integrate with a globalizing world. The current regional trend in Africa has received very little scholarly attention especially in a systematic and comprehensive way. This is due partly to the fact that the processes are currently unfolding and there is still uncertainty in the outcomes. Poor documentation and the dearth of primary materials (especially from the regional institutions) also contribute to the lack of scholarly work in this area. This study assembles the voices of some of the most seasoned African and Africanist scholars who have constantly, in one way or another, interacted with the integration process in Africa and kept abreast of the developments therein, and seeks to capture those developments in a nuanced manner in the economic, political and social spheres. The essence of this book is to analyze those processes--teasing out the issues, problems, challenges and major policy recommendations, with tentative conclusions on Africa's regional development trajectory. The book therefore fills major knowledge and policy gaps in Africa's regional development agenda. This book is a landmark contribution in a systematic attempt to comprehend Africa's regional development strategy led by the African Union. It examines the background, nuances, and dimensions of the process, which include the basis and historiography of pan-Africanism, the transition of the OAU to the AU, the issue of popular participation in development, the NEPAD and APRM initiatives, the evolving regional peace and security architecture, and the efforts of regional institutions to facilitate democracy, human rights, rule of law and good governance on the continent. The book underscores the fact that formidable obstacles and challenges abound in the trajectory, politics, and processes of this regional development paradigm, especially as Africa navigates an uncertain future in a deeply divided and unequal yet globalised World. The book constitutes a major reference material and compendium for a wide range of readers--students and scholars of African affairs and African development, policy makers both in Africa and the western countries, regional and international institutions and organizations, and all those interested in the past, present and future of Africa's development process.
Download or read book Africa s Progress in Regional and Global Economic Integration Towards Transformative Regional Integration written by Achim Gutowski and published by LIT Verlag Münster. This book was released on 2016 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on Africa's deep routed structural problems, the key aspect of a transformative regional integration is how to promote structural transformation by adapted strategies and policies for the African regional economic communities, for the Continental Free Trade Area, and for the Tripartite Free Trade Area. Regional integration in Africa is based on a conventional (linear) model, starting with trade preference zones and moving to free trade areas, customs unions, and monetary and economic zones, with the ultimate goal to reach political unity. Specific problems of a more transformative regional integration agenda are discussed, such as: ?food security and agriculture; industry development, enterprise growth and competition; and economic partnership agreements with extra-regional partners. In the final section, the impact of three global value chains of importance for Africa (diamonds, shea butter, and sesame) are considered on regions, on sub-regions, and on regional integration. (Series: African Development Perspectives Yearbook, Vol. 18) [Subject: African Studies, Economics
Download or read book The Challenges of Regional Integration in Africa written by Mzukisi Qobo and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This paper seeks to explore the theme of regional integration with reference to the establishment of a 'United States of Africa'. The paper critically assesses the validity of the proposition that integration is a desirable strategy for overcoming Africa's deep-seated developmental challenges. For regional integration to succeed it has to be based on effective national growth and development strategies. Furthermore, there needs to be a normative convergence on the issues of democratisation and promotion of human rights. This will require a departure from the negative sovereignty, which is decidedly state-centric and obsessed with anti-imperialism, towards the exploration of more positive expressions of sovereignty that take into account the importance of non-state actors in promoting development"--Page 16
Download or read book The Effect of Economic Integration on Local and Regional Development written by Owen Adams and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2023-06-21 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essay from the year 2023 in the subject Economics - Industrial Economics, grade: A, , language: English, abstract: This paper examines the effect of economic integration on local and regional development in Africa. It explores the potential benefits, challenges, and opportunities that come with economic integration among African countries. The study acknowledges the importance of economic integration in accelerating growth and development on the continent, and highlights the need for effective national economic frameworks and policies to support regional integration efforts. Economic integration is seen as a blueprint for African countries to reap the benefits of globalization and integration into the global economy. The paper reviews the concept of economic integration, the stages of integration, and the benefits it brings, such as expanded markets, increased efficiency, and economies of scale. However, it also acknowledges the challenges facing economic integration in Africa, including poor governance, low political commitment, and weak institutional frameworks. The paper analyzes the progress of the East African Community (EAC) as an example of regional economic integration and highlights the positive impacts it has had on market access, trade negotiation capacity, transport and communication infrastructure, and the free movement of people and goods. The study concludes that economic integration has the potential to transform the African economic landscape, but the challenges need to be addressed, including addressing corruption, strengthening institutional frameworks, and harmonizing policies. The paper recommends the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a means to accelerate greater integration among African nations and remove barriers to trade and development.
Download or read book Nation States and the Challenges of Regional Integration in West Africa The Case of Nigeria written by and published by KARTHALA Editions. This book was released on 2010-02-01 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since their independance, Africa states West in particular have felt a need for regional integration in order to solve their development problems. Various aspects of Nigeria's experience in regional integration are there examined. These include the advocacy of chambers of commerce for common currencies among members of the West African Monetary Zone, security implications of defense pacts between some francophone member countries and France, and grassroots participation to solve problems concerning borders and borderlands. Finally, facilitators and obstacles of regional integration are examined.
Download or read book Regionalism and Africa s Development written by S.K.B. Asante and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A critical appraisal of regionalism as a key strategy in Africa's development explaining the failures thus far of attempts at regional integration on the continent. This is the first text to highlight the main features of the new post-1990 regional initiatives such as the all-embracing African Economic Community and World Bank, IMF, African Development Bank, EC and French initiatives and the challenges to Africa from trading blocs elsewhere in the post-Uruguay Round environment.
Download or read book Regional Developmentalism through Law written by Jonathan Bashi Rudahindwa and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-05-20 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offering a study of regionalism in Africa and investigating the ways in which law can be used to address the issues raised by regional processes on the continent, this book examines the African Economic Community, considering that it has been entrusted to coordinate and to harmonize policies between various Regional Economic Communities (RECs) across the continent, thereby influencing the continent’s approach towards regional integration. It seeks to identify how law can be used to strengthen the African RECs while ensuring that they achieve their goal of promoting regional development across the continent. Drawing upon economic and political theories, and using a critical doctrinal analysis of legal texts and norms, the book uncovers the legal and economic underpinnings of the model of regional integration followed by the regional schemes operating under the banner of the AEC, aiming to contribute to the search for effective methods to ensure the success of these various initiatives. Proposing the concept of "Regional Developmentalism Through Law" as the most suitable conceptual framework to support the effective establishment of an African Economic Community, this book will be of interest to researchers, academics and policy makers interested in the correlation between law, regional integration and development in Africa.
